


Falling down the Veil

by Yoonmin_Namjintrash



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Voldemort Wins, F/M, First War with Voldemort, Jealousy, Past Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley - Freeform, Secret Identity, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26957725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yoonmin_Namjintrash/pseuds/Yoonmin_Namjintrash
Summary: In 1996 Sirius Black falls through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries.In 1974 Sirius Black wakes up in the body of his younger self, unable to tell anyone the future he lived. Cursed to see his best friend and his wife die, be betrayed by one of his best friends and leave one of them alone for a long time. He is cursed to fail his godson at every turn.In 1998 Harry Potter dies and leaves Voldemort without any horcruxes. Mortal or not Tom Riddle was one of the most powerful wizards at that time, he wins. Wizarding Britain falls.In 2000 Hermione Granger decides to travel back to the past.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Gideon Prewett, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black & Hermione Granger
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

Spells were shooting all around Hermione as she tried her best to stay alive. She knew this was a trap but of course Harry Bleeding-Heart Potter had to run into it leaving her no choice but to follow. Well that was not true Harry had always given her the choice to back out, but how could she after all Harry was her first friend, and if there was one thing Hermione Granger was it was loyal.

She tried to block out her surroundings, thinking as if this was another DA meeting and the Death Eaters were just projections of the Room of Requirements. It would work for fractions of seconds, after which she was pulled out of her imagination with the destruction of another object somewhere around her.

She cast a glance around the room, trying to find any of her friends, hoping against hope that they were all right. The only one who came in her field of vision was Neville, slightly scarred and hurt but overall looking fine. 

She wanted to call out to him, but just as she was about to, a sharp pain shot against her shoulder. She saw a man pointing his wand at her, a dark smirk residing on his face. 

"It's been a long time since I've had an easy kill," he said. His voice had undertones of an accent she couldn't place. 

Before she could make any movement to protect herself from him, the man sent a non-verbal spell freezing her in place.

"Dolohov" Neville spat out. 

He appeared to be familiar with the wizard, his face sported a grimace, almost as if looking at the filth in the middle of Knockturn Alley. 

"Tut tut little Longbottom, don't you know not to interfere with me. I'm sure Augusta Longbottom has said some stuff about me. However, if you are so itching for a fight I'll give you one later, right now I have an arrogant little Mudblood to get through" the man, Dolohov, responded.

Just as he was finishing the tirade the spell started to wear off, letting her regain control of her limbs.

Right when he finished, he sent a red spell flying towards her. She put up a shield charm, protecting herself from the incoming spell.

' _Thank God for the DA'_ Hermione thought. She knew for a fact that she wouldn't have had the reflex for that if it hadn't been for Harry.

As she regained her footing she saw Dolohov starting to mutter a spell. She saw that he was quite adept at nonverbal spells so the fact that he had to say the spell told her that it was no good.

Thinking quickly she sent a silencio just as he was getting to the spell. Even though he was cut off, a spell left the end of his wand, a purple spell fluidly cutting through the air coming right at her. In that split second she saw the toothy grin of the wizard who hoped to kill her, and through the fiery pain coursing through her body there was only one thought on her brain:

' _I will make you regret underestimating me_ '

* * *

Darkness seemed to surround her. She tried opening her eyes but it seemed physically impossible. Just a few seconds later a burning pain shot through her sternum, and she instinctively clutched onto the sheets over which she was laid. 

"I think she moved, I think she moved her hand!" 

"Are you sure? Are you completely sure?" another voice said, almost as if afraid to hope.

"Yes, I am not blind, I am sure Hermione moved." The first voice responded.

Before she could gather her bearings a vial of liquid was being poured down her throat, and another one in quick succession to that. 

She cracked her eyes open, the harsh light making her squint her eyes, when the light was blocked by the imposing figure of a red haired boy.

It was one of the Weasley twins. Casting a quick glance she spotted the small scar on his left cheek identifying him as Fred Weasley.

"Fred? How long have I been here? Where is everyone? Is everyone alright? Is Harry alright?" She spewed her question one after the other not giving the other boy time to respond.

The older boy moved to calm her. Holding up his hands in the universal sign of 'calm down' he answered,

"Calm down Hermione, everyone is physically fine" he said trying to assure her

She was just about relax and celebrate the fact that no one had been seriously hurt, when she caught the way he worded his answer.

"physically fine?"

"Caught that did you, of course. Well see the thing is... Harry is not fine. Sirius died while dueling Bellatrix Lestrange. He fell through the veil" Fred responded. Before she could ask anymore questions Madame Pomfrey entered the room.

"How long have you been awake? Mr. Weasley, why didn’t you call me as soon as she got up? Now, dear you have had a bad hit, it is a lucky thing you are alive. You should stay here for a few days so you can regain control over your body. I have packed your potion regiment. Follow it to the t and you'll be fine in no time"

"Thank you Madame." Hermione responded gratefully. However, the news of Sirius' death roamed her mind. She couldn't help sympathize with Harry, but at the same time she felt as if Sirius was finally at peace. He could be in the afterlife with James and Lily Potter.

* * *

Hermione moved through the stacks of books that were on her bedside table. Harry had come to visit her after she woke up, and dropped a few bombs on her.

_The door to the infirmary opened slowly. There was barely any noise and when Hermione tilted her head slightly to see who it was, she saw the figure of her best friend creep in hesitatingly._

_“Hey Hermione, you good?” Harry asked, nervously fidgeting with his fingers._

_She smiled softly at her friend who she had started looking at as a younger brother._

_“Of course Harry, few more days and I’ll be all good”_

_“Great, lovely. Yeah, um… that’s amazing really” he spewed out._

_“I’m really sorry about Sirius Harry...” she started “...but it wasn’t your fault.”_

_“Of course it was my fault! You told me that it was a trap, and let’s be real when have you ever been wrong? I should’ve listened to you, and then Sirius wouldn’t be dead, you wouldn’t be hurt, Ron wouldn’t have those brains and I wouldn’t have lost my last family. I should’ve… I don’t know tried harder I guess”_

_His voice was shaking, trembling like he was about to start crying._

_“It’s just, he was so excited to play godfather. I think he saw me as a medium to my mum and dad, and I know it shouldn’t be good, but if I remind their best friend of them, then I am truly a part of them” he explained_

_“Since I found out I was a wizard people told me I looked just like my father, but for mum it was always the eyes. Finding out that I have more than that is… comforting”_

_“Harry, none of this is your fault. You tried everything to confirm that it wasn’t a trap. You were going to lose the closest person to your parents and you acted. It’s what makes you, you. As for family, I’ve said this before, but you are the closest thing to a brother I have, Ron considers you a brother, and it’s only the fact that we don’t have time that has stopped him from making you his blood brother. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley love you as a son. You have a family Harry, it's just chosen rather than fated.”_

_“About that, Dumbeldore told me something” Harry started moving towards her bedside._

_He sat on the chair and looked down at his shoes._

_“There is a prophecy, a prophecy that states that I am supposed to kill Voldemort” ignoring her gasp he continued “it spoke about a child born at then end of July, who was going to have powers unknown to him.”_

_“That’s why Lily and James went into hiding, that’s why Voldemort was after them” Hermione whispered to herself._

_“I always wondered, you know, why he targeted my parents. I liked to think it was because they were brave,that they were a threat to him. But now, they died because of some prophecy that didn’t even have to come true.”_

_“What do you mean?” she asked_

_“There were two babies born at the end of July: me and Neville”_

_There was silence in the infirmary for a while. Hermione processed the information she had just gotten. Harry’s life was written before he was even born. She needed more information._

_“I need to research this more. Can you get me books from the library?” she requested._

_For the first time since he entered Harry smiled._

She sighed as another book revealed nothing about the magic behind prophesies. She picked up another book from her stack of 'not read'.

As she combed through the book, she didn’t notice someone enter the Hospital Wing.

“Ms. Granger, it is lovely to see you alive and well again” 

“Professor Dumbeldore sir” Hermione exclaimed, shutting her book.

She didn’t know if Harry was allowed to tell her about his learning, but she didn’t want him to get into trouble.

Dumbeldore barely even glanced at the book, before his entire stature changed. He looked burdened, even sorrowful.

“Ah prophecies, nasty little things. Contained in such a small artifact, detailing such great events” Dumbeldore sighed. His eyes conveyed his sadness, speaking of the tragedies they had witnessed.

“Professor, I’m sure Harry didn’t mean any harm. He always tells Ron and I important things. Don’t be angry at him” she pleaded.

“I was aware that Mr. Potter would not hide such things from his two closest friends. In fact, I was hoping that he would not hide them. Dark times are approaching Ms. Granger, and looking at young Mr. Potter’s history I would hope he’d surround himself with people he can trust, loyal people.”

“Then why come here? I mean if you had hoped and if you knew, I mean no offense sir, but it’s just I didn’t expect you to visit” Hermione stuttered out.

“Ms. Granger, if I know you well, and I like to think I know my students pretty well, you will stick by Mr. Potter’s side. You will be his mind, helping him, guiding him through his destiny. Mr. Potter is the beginning of the journey, Mr. Weasley the middle and you, Ms. Granger, you are going to be the one to end it.”

“But professor the prophecy…” she started

“Prophecies are uncommon things. Unknown and they rarely play out the way you expect them to. Power is all around us, the power Mr. Potter is given is unknown; however, it is something we are all aware of...” he trailed off, staring at her as if calculating something. 

“Grimmauld place has a library with a wealth of knowledge. It is a pity that the Black family is so affiliated with the Dark side. The magic there is one of a kind and I think you’d find it particularly helpful for the future.” he responded, a small smile playing on his face.

“Professor are you asking me to learn Dark Magic?” she responded, horror striking her face. Her voice was barely louder than a whisper but it seemed to resonate in the empty room.

“Ms. Granger, you are to be an invaluable member to the Order. The only other person I would trust to be familiar with such magic is unavailable at this moment. I hope I can trust you with this task?” he answered, his eyes glancing down at her from his half-mooned glasses.

Her need to prove herself jumped. Dumbeldore was trusting her with a huge task: keeping Harry safe. She would’ve done it without his orders, but now the stakes were higher.

“Of course professor. I will do my best”

“Your best if what people hope for Ms. Granger” Dumbeldore ended with a smile on his face and twinkle in his eyes.

“Professor can I just ask one last question?” she looked imploringly

“What happens to someone who falls through the veil? The Department of Mysteries is very stringent about the information that leaves and there is hardly any stuff there about the Death Chamber… I just wanted to know for Harry” she rushed out.

“That Ms. Granger is an excellent question, one I am afraid I cannot answer. Every situation relating to the veil that has been tested has shown different results. Either every case is different, or there is no conclusion to be drawn” 

**Sirius p.o.v**

The feeling of being pulled down with no control over his own body. That was the last sensation he remembered. The last image he remembered was the lost look on his godson's face, as Remus rushed towards him, both men hoping that it wasn't the end of Sirius Black they were witnessing.

Sirius felt very guilty, not only for being a reckless Gryffindor and dying, but also being happy that his death meant that he was finally free. He hoped that when he would open his eyes he would see his brother in all but blood, and the terrifying witch he had come to see as a sister.

He slowly blinked his eyes open, expecting to see the teal walls of Potter Manor, expecting to lay on his bed and hear the call from Dorea Potter at any moment. However, when he did open his eyes, he was welcomed with the ceiling of the Gryffindor boys dormitories.

'Not completely unexpected' Sirius thought to himself. He reminisced the moment he told Harry how welcoming the castle had seemed the first time he entered it.

He turned over to his side, and was welcome with the face of his brother: James Potter.

A rush of emotions - guilt, anger, sorrow- filled him, and his eyes ran over the features of his best friend. He was surprised to see a young James, one that was still in Hogwarts, and not the James he had seen lying on the floor of his cottage at Godric's Hollow.

“Prongs” Sirius breathed out.

“Prongs? That’s a good name, reckon we give names to all of us” James responded with a grin.

The statement shook Sirius. James didn’t remember the name, he didn’t know about the Animagus names. Something was wrong and Sirius didn't know if he should be ahpoy about it or sad.


	2. Reichenbach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione finds something in Grimmauld Place, and Sirius learns about his paradox.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... so I don't know how to write. Especially stories cause they are so vivid and stuff. If anyone has any criticism/advice please let me know.   
> Also I don't know when, or how frequently I can update, so sorry if I take month long hiatuses.

**Hermione's POV**

Hermione spent most of her summer break over at Grimmauld Place researching. The place was still under the Fidelius Charm and therefore was considered safe. As per Dumbledore's word, she combed through the entirety of the Black library, making sure that none of the books were cursed against anyone not pureblood. She was lucky that Bill was back in England and was willing to work with any cursed books she found. It took her a good week to assure herself that all the books were safe to open. 

She combed through the books, reading about magic that made her want to hurl anything she ate that day. She read about Blood Rituals and Sacrificial Magic, a few spells in the books were annotated and she wondered under what circumstances the Black family used blood feud rituals. 

While reading through a book about protection rituals and bonds she came across a note. The note was crumpled up, the parchment looked worse for wear, as if repeatedly opened and closed. 

_ " In your time of greatest need, remember Sirius we are blood and I will help you in any way I can. I believe in your purity and I'm sure that you will associate with any one as pure as you to put an end to the struggle. _

_ M.P.B" _

Hermione stared at the note. Sirius had been in contact with someone from the Black family. Someone who valued blood over bigotry it seemed. The words seemed to jump at her. The message looked familiar, as if she had read it before, but she couldn't remember. It was right at the tip of her mind but she just couldn't grasp at it.

While she was staring at the note she didn't realise footsteps creeping up the staircase. She didn't react until someone opened the door of the library, the door making a high pitched creaking sound, making the hair on her arms rise. 

She whirled around, grasping for her wand. She calmed down when she saw it was Professor Lupin at the door, looking tired and worn down, but with a spark of amusement in his eyes.

"You're gonna have to be a lot quicker than that Hermione."

"I'm sorry Professor, it's just I didn't think anyone was coming"

"That's exactly why you have to be quicker, Death Eaters aren't going to make an appointment to kill you."

His harsh words were contrasted by the warm tone of his voice. She was honestly surprised that Lupin was here, considering that this had been the last place Sirius had been before his death. 

"I'll improve upon that Professor, I promise" Hermione said,trying to end the somewhat awkward conversation.

_ 'What do you say to someone who lost everything and is now blatantly telling you that people want to kill you?' _

"What are you doing here Hermione? I would've expected you to be with the Weasley's or with your parents at least"

"Professor Dumbledore wanted me to clean out the house before it can be used as Headquarters again" Hermione replied, using the pre-made story. 

"That's good, really good. Now why don't you tell me the truth?" Lupin replied, the glint of amusement getting brighter. She internally fumed at the thought that he was having fun at her embarrassment. 

She fidgeted with her fingers and looked around. She didn't want to lie to someone she respected, but on the other hand she knew that Dumbeldore probably had a reason for keeping this a secret . She had apparently been quiet for too long because Remus' face darkened and his eyebrows furrowed together. 

"It's not something dangerous is it?"

"No it's just some assigned readings for Defense. I got an E on my OWLs you see and I didn't want to be unprepared for the next time" she said, then realised her words "next time as in the NEWTs you know. I want to get an O in defense for my NEWTs" she finished, hoping that he would just leave her alone and fall for her lie. 

By his face it was obvious that her lie did not work, but thankfully he did not comment. He stared at her face, trying to see if he could figure out her goal. Obviously he found something because he gave her a quick nod and left it at that. 

"Well anyway I came here to apparate you to The Burrow. Your parents have been informed that you have received an opportunity for extra practice in Transfiguration for the rest of the summer and therefore can't come back."

On one hand she was relieved that she wouldn't have to lie to her parents again, but on the other hand she couldn't help but feel guilty for the lies her parents were being told. She knew they didn't believe most of them, but trusted her to let them know if she needed help. 

As she packed the library up, putting some books in her bag, she had an idea. 

" Professor, you were our Defense teacher"

"Astute observation Ms. Granger" Remus responded.

"I was wondering… I mean if it's not any problem… of course you can say no if it's too much…" she rambled

"Spit it out Hermione" Remus chuckled

"I was hoping you would teach me how to properly duel!" she blurted out.

Remus stilled, his face held panic and she knew the answer.

" I cannot teach you, I have… something to do. However, I could ask Dora to help you" he answered.

At the name of the Auror, Hermione lit up. Not only was Tonks a fun person to be around, but she was also a Black. Maybe she would know who M.P.B was. 

"Oh that would be lovely, thank you so much Professor" Hermione beamed. 

"You're welcome, and I am no longer your professor, you can call me Remus" 

Before she could respond Lupin held his hand out, ending the conversation.

* * *

A few weeks later Hermione was surprised to hear that Tonks would be able to train her. They wouldn't have scheduled sessions due to her job, but whenever they could Tonks would teach Hermione the basics of dueling. She would duel with her and give advice and pointers to improve her form.

"You are good at casting spells, your weakness is your hesitation" Tonks said one day, pacing around an empty room in Grimmauld Place

or “you should turn yourself..” and she maneuvered her body so that it was perpendicular to the training dummies they were using “...like that, so you are presenting a smaller area for impact” or "What you want to do is be fluid, and strike fast. It doesn't have to be a fancy spell, it can be a simple expelliarmus" as she disarmed her while Hermione was still preparing her wand movement.

Hermione remembered Harry's story about the graveyard, about how he survived Voldemort with just an Expelliarmus, and she vowed to perfect her casting. 

Tonks also helped her understand the basics of non-verbal spells. They were supposed to do it in their sixth year, so Hermione had the theoretical backing, and with Tonks’ help she was passing by.

One such day, after an hour long practice session, Hermione thought of bringing M.P.B. They had just finished a duel, and even though Hermione couldn’t beat Tonks, she could now last long enough and showed great improvements. They were sitting on the sofas of Grimmauld Place when she tried to bring it up.

“So Tonks do you know much about the Black side of your family?”

“I know the most important thing, they were fucking assholes!” She replied with a grin. Hermione grinned but said nothing, letting Tonks continue “No, nothing much, mum doesn’t like talking about them you know. She grew up with them, and even though she saw the crazy side of them, she still was hurt by the disownment. Why are you asking?”

“Oh you know, nothing much. I was just wondering, if you wanted a relationship or acknowledgment from that side” Hermione hastily lied. She cringed at her statement, praying Tonks didn't call her out.   
“Oh god no, I would rather stay in a locked room with Moody for a day, than talk to mum’s family. Sirius showed me the tapestry you know, showed me what I escaped.”

_ ‘Of course, how could she be so stupid? The tapestry’ _

“Oh alright thanks Tonks, and also thank you for training me” Hermione said, with a smile. "Not a lot of people would spend their Saturdays training a teenager"

“Hermione, I’m going to be clear with you. Everyone, and I mean everyone, knows you are Harry Potter’s best friend, there are still rumors going on that you two are going out” Hermione couldn’t help but grimace at the thought “yeah, I see that face, but people still believe what Rita Skeeter wrote. On top of that you are a Muggleborn. You have to be careful and you need to be prepared. Molly thinks she can keep you three out of the war, well she’s wrong. Harry will get dragged in and you and Ron will follow him. Ron has had the advantage of growing up in a magic family, he has been in touch with his magic for 16 years, you have only had 6. You need to get used to depending on your magic and if I can do anything to help you, I will do it.” Tonks responded to her words carrying a fierceness she had not expected. 

Hermione fiddled with her fingers, not really knowing what to say. Sensing her nervousness Tonks jumped up from the sofa and clapped her hands.

“Well then I have to leave, or else Moody is going to stick me with paperwork again” she rolled her eyes at her mentor’s and with a salute she left.

She waited for the door to close before dashing to the tapestry room to check the members of Andromeda’s family. After an hour of going through the tapestry (and trying to ignore a lot of the interconnecting lines) Hermione shortlisted the names to Marius and Melania Black.

Before she could truly contemplate who MPB might've been, she heard her alarm go off signaling the end of her time at 12 Grimmauld Place. She left the room not noticing the  blasted face of Marius glaring at her, nor the haughty picture of Melania Black.

* * *

Sixth year passed by in a flash. Her feelings for Ron waning away as she embraced their friendship, the Half Blood Prince’s book, Harry and Ginny getting together. Snape’s betrayal. Dumbeldore’s death. The last came as a blow to everyone. It seemed as if all of a sudden the Light lost its illuminator. The blood supremacists at Hogwarts got a whole lot bolder, openly making comments about her and threatening her. It seemed as if she couldn’t turn a corner without someone calling her Mudblood or mocking her, and telling her future as their whore once Voldemort won. She didn’t tell anyone, she didn’t really know why. Some part of her was afraid that they would brush it off and she would find out that she didn’t really matter- at least not to the Order. 

She had spoken to Tonks about hiding her parents, but apparently the Order was run over and they didn’t have any resources to hide her parents in. She thought it would be fine at first, she thought the Death Eater couldn’t be bothered with her parents and so she did nothing. just made sure she had her wand on her at all times. 

The threat came out of nowhere. It was a month before she was supposed to leave for the Burrow when she heard a knock on her door. Her parents weren’t home and she barely had any muggle connection. The hairs at the back of her neck rose and shivers ran through her body. She grabbed her wand and moved, anglind her body to make herself as small of a target as she could. Tonks’ lessons ran through her head, and she made sure she followed every word.

‘ _ Angle your body to give less space for impact, move sticking close to the walls, wand at the ready stunning spell at the tip of your tongue’ _

When she reached the door, she waited for a second, before swinging it open. She jumped into position, bracing herself to attack and to prepare for the attack, when nothing came. She looked around and saw no one, just a bad lying at her porch. 

She went to grab it, when something struck her odd. Quickly retracting her hand she used the base of an umbrella from the stand to drag the bag over inside. Seeing no damage she closed the door and opened the bag.

She gasped at the sight, and dropped the bag, rushing to her room, confused about what to do.

“I have to do something, this isn’t right, I have to do something!” she whispered to herself. 

The three dolls that looked frighteningly similar to her family burned at the back of her eyes. The torn object, with it’s red stuffing spewed about, was a clear message. Her parents weren’t safe.

‘Last resort time’ she thought grimly and prepared herself.

* * *

**Sirius POV**

Sirius was stuck. After confirming the fact that he had in fact time travelled he felt glee. He could change everything. Harry had, hadn’t he. He wrote down everything he could remember, and thought of a way to tell James. 

James. He could save James and Lily. There would be the added benefit that he wouldn’t go to Azkaban, but he would save his best friend.

‘ _ And get rid of Wormtail’ _

That was the heartbreaking part. Wormtail was still loyal to them. He had seen it when he took the fall for a prank that James played, and when he diligently took notes in Charms for Remus. On one hand Sirius wanted to kill the rat, but on the other he wanted to save him. He thought about it and decided he would tell James everything and let him decide. 

Remus was on prefect rounds and Peter was down in the common room doing Transfiguration homework. This was probably the best deal Sirius was gonna get. 

“James, mate there’s something I need to tell you” Sirius tentatively started one night. 

James didn’t say anything, but he turned to his side, his full concentration on Sirius. Sirius saw the confusion on his face, and he wondered if he could truly do this? Tell James about his death.

“Something happened to me, somehow I —” Sirius started, but he was unable to finish as the canopy of his bed, broke apart and fell on top of him. The thick curtains and the wooden posts fell on his chest, hurting him, but not knocking him out.

“SIRIUS!” James yelled, jumping from his bed to Sirius, levitating the remnants of his bed from on top of him. 

Sirius did not remember this ever happening. A cold feeling draped on him, and he tried to speak of the future, speak of Harry, to prove his theory wrong.

“Wormtail will… Lily...FUCK!—” Sirius exerted himself, trying his best to get the words out his mouth, but he wasn’t able to say anything. His words choked, and sealed themselves inside him. 

James’ concerned stare was the last thing he saw before he fell. 


	3. Dumbledore's Message

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war was truly lost. The Order had gone jnto hiding, and Hermione was at lost at what to do. The only comfort was her DA coin. Everything seemed to have been lost, until she finds a possibility of saving the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeahhhh so I'm sorry about being late. Also this chaoter kinda isn't great :( Dumbledore is hard to write. Please any criticism any way I can improve please let me know.

The ghost of screams and moans echoed around the broken structure of Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The once safe haven, strong,tall and proud, lay waste right in front of her. She looked around trying to find friends and family, but all she could see was the mourners.

  


The Chosen One had perished. The Boy-Who-Lived died. Harry Potter was killed and her brother was gone.

The horcruxes were all destroyed, and it seemed like You-Know-Who knew that as well. Leaving Bellatrix LeStrange in charge, he had retreated to safety. Tom Riddle was an incredibly apt magic user, and moreover he was smart. Without Harry it seemed like the Order had given up on hope, and she didn't blame them. Their situation was horrible and victory seemed impossible.

In the midst of the chaos her eyes caught bright red, and she raced towards it, fighting and decapitating everyone who came in her way. She saw Fred Weasley fighting against two Death Eaters, using spells she often saw him use for his pranks. Even in this situation, her heart still raced as she saw him take down Death Eaters in incredibly ingenious ways that was a trademark for the Weasley Twins. 

Before she could approach him, she saw a few members of the order apparate away, each sending others a pointed glance. They all knoew that they were outnumbered, and couldn't do anything. 

Snapping into action she sent two Stunning spells towards the Death Eaters, ran and grabbed Fred, apparating them away. 

"What are you doing?" Fred thundered, fighting against her once they landed "I have to fight, I have to help my family!"

"Fred we were outnumbered, we needed to retreat." She explained, while pulling him along with her, trying to throw off any suspicious glances. She held his hand, to make it seem like they were a normal couple She had landed them in her neighbourhood, the first place she thought of as safe. 

"I'll check my house, if it's safe we can put up some wards and plan our next move." 

Her house, once a beautiful brick and stone structure, was destroyed. The windows were broken and it looked like the door had been blown off its hinges. Carefully she walked in, casting a  _ Homenum Revelio  _ charm. Seeing no obvious sign of presence, she checked the rooms and bathrooms. Confirming that no one was there, she went outside and called Fred in. Casting all the protective wards she could think of, and using some from the books she brought with her, she secured the house as much as she could. 

"Alright so what should we do now?" she asked Fred.

"Well, is there any way we can tell my family that I'm still alive. I'm sure Mum is concerned that one of her boys isn't there with her" Fred said cooly. She got the distinct impression that he did not, in fact, enjoy being whisked away without consent. 

"Right let me tell Ginny, she has her DA coin on her" 

"Didn't the DA coins just communicate numbers?"

"Yeah well I have the master coin, cause you know I got it" Hermione started, trying to avoid saying Harry's name "I can modify it to let me get a message to Ginny"

"Can't we just use a Patronus?" Fred questioned her, trying to find the most efficient method.

His insistent questioning reminded her of Ron. Her best friend, who she squabbles with, who always stands up for, supports her. Remembering him and remembering Harry breaks something in her, and before she knew it she was yelling. 

"I don't know about you, but right now all my memories are tainted. My brother is dead, my parents are lost, I just spent an entire year in hiding for no reason apparently, and I don't know if my other best friend is alive or not!" Hermione shrieked out. All her worries came out at once, and a hysterical laugh escaped her as she thought of all the consolations she would mutter to herself, in the dreary old tent of theirs. She felt hopeless, all she wanted was for Harry or Ron to wrap her in a hug and tell her they'll figure it out.

' _ At least there's hope that Ron's alive' _

Seeing Hermione appear so lost, someone who always seemed to have an answer, hit Fred. This was real, the war was lost, and he had no idea about his family. Gently moving forward he held Hermione's hand, forcing her to look up at him.

"It's gonna be alright, you'll modify the coin and talk to Ginny, everyone will be alright and then we will end this war. You will free the house elves and we'll have a happy ever after ending" he reassured, hoping that his light commentary would settle her.

She gave a wet chuckle, and nodded not wanting to continue the somber talk.

"You're right, we'll get this done" she whispered.

Brandishing out Bellatrix's wand, she started thinking about how she would modify her coins. The Master coin held the Protean charm to send the message, but she couldn't remove it because she didn't have the other coins, but what if she added to the coin. The Protean charm would reflect changes on the coin, so she could send a message by changing the coin. 

'Fred here, safe, 5 if you're good' she sent, hoping that Ginny had her coin on her.

She waited for a few seconds. Each second felt like an hour, the unexpected creepeing on her and all the worst case scenarios ran through her mind. When the '5' finally came by it was all she could do to not cry. However, tears pricked her eyes as a relieved laugh left her body. Seeing her reaction Fred rushed forward, rapidly asking multiple questions. 

"What happened? Is everyone alright? What did Ginny say?" he questioned

"I couldn't ask for a lot of information, but everyone is safe according to her." Hermione responded. For the first time that day she truly felt relieved. Most of her family was fine. 

"Pond? 1" she sent trying to get a location from her friend. The Weasley children, Harry and her had soent quite a while of their summers by the pond near the Burrow. She hoped to throw of suspicion but still know where her friends were.

" 1"

"Alright Fred, they are all at the Burrow, and safe. So now why don't you wash up in the bathroom. It's the first door to the left, and I have some of Ron's clothes for you to change into, they should fit you, and then we can discuss our next move" Hermione told Fred. He looked tired to his bones, especially since he couldn't see his family or twin. She felt sorry for him, and felt a pang at the thought of her own family. 

"You sure you don't wanna go first?" He asked reluctantly. 

"I'll just use the other bathroom." she said, stretching her arms to get some sort of relief. 

Nodding to her, Fred grabbed the worn out Chudley Cannons shirt and pants, and moved out to the bathroom.

* * *

Hermione was emptying out her purse to clean the clothes and check what more she should stock up on, when she saw 'The Tales of Beedle and Bard', the book left to her by Dumbledore. She was still confused as to why he left her this, she wanted to think it was for the Deathly Hallows, but that didn't make much sense. After all it didn't work, the Resurrection Stone was still missing, and so was the Elder Wand. The only possible Hallow available was the Cloak of Invisibility, and unless Dumbledore wanted them to run away it was not that important either.   


Somehow she felt the compulsion to look further into the book. A memory somehow came to the forefront of her mind.

_ "Ms. Granger, if I know you well, and I like to think I know my students pretty well, you will stick by Mr. Potter’s side. You will be his mind, helping him, guiding him through his destiny. Mr. Potter is the beginning of the journey, Mr. Weasley the middle and you, Ms. Granger, you are going to be the one to end it.” _

Was that a clue? Was Dumbledore such a chess player that he was planning all of this from the time the threat arose?

“Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, finish, the end,” it was at the last phrase that the book cracked open. The previously hard cover opened up revealing a hollow area with an envelope in it.

“Fred!” Hermione yelled out, not wanting to open the envelope without the Weasley Twin.

She heard the quick stomp of feet, and the door slammed open revealing Fred with his wand raised. After looking around, and not seeing any potential harm, he lowered his wand.

“Blimey Hermione, try not to give me a heart attack” he snarked, annoyed at how panicked he had gotten.

“Well if you don’t want to read a note, or probably a plan, left to us by Dumbelodore then by all means” she responded dramatically signalling the door.

The way Fred’s eyes widened made her laugh, and she beckoned him to the bed breaking him out of his stupor. For the first time since they had escaped she felt lightz and had a glimmer of hope.

Opening the envelope she found a vial, with a memory strand enclosed in it. Closing her eyes and cursing Dumbledore, she let the vial rest on the bed before turning to Fred. 

"How do you feel about helping me break into a Death Eater infested Hogwarts?"

His responding grin did nothing for her panic.

* * *

Sneaking into Hogwarts was easier than expected. In the week following the Order’s defeat it seemed as though the Death Eater’s had abandoned the castle. The castle lay in rubble exactly as she last remembered it. She could feel the tell-tale sting in her eyes, before she took a deep breathe in. Taking Fred’s hand, they both moved under the Invisibility Cloak, using the Marauder’s Map for reference. 

Reaching the Gargoyle was no big deal, but once they reached there they realised they would need a password. Snape had been the last Headmaster, so the password was most likely not going to be candy names.   


Hermione reached into her bag and brought out the envelope, to see in Dumbeldore had left any clues on how she could access the pensieve. The envelope appeared to be blank. She was about to put it back in her purse, when Fred stopped her by grasping her wrist. Quietly he pointed to a region in the center of the envelope that when looked closely at, showed the signs of a Glamour Charm. She nodded in acknowledgment, and whispered the countercharm.

The glamour slowly lifted off revealing the words ‘The End’.

“That was the password to get the envelope as well, it has to be the password for the Gargoyle” Fred told Hermione, his eyes lighting up with the answer. 

As soon as she said the password the Gargoyle moved. However, instead of leading up to the Headmaster’s Office, the Gargoyle moved down, leading to an unknown place. 

The room was not what she expected. Honestly she didn’t know what she expected, but with Dumbeldore she expected it to be a warm place, maybe a few couches. The room she entered was desolate, cold and dreary. The bareness of the room was emphasized by the single pensieve placed in the center of the room. The liquid in the plate simmered, beckoning her forwards. She took entranced steps to the object, and once she reached there she ran her hands over the carved runes.

_ MEMORY _

  


_ HAPPINESS _

  


_ HISTORY _

There were a few that she couldn’t understand, and before she could delve into her mind palace of runes, she was woken from her trance.   


“Well go on then Hermione, I want to see what Dumbeldore has to say.” Fred cajoled her.  


“Maybe… maybe I should watch this alone. I mean no offense to you Fred, but there was some information that only Dumbeldore and…  _ we _ knew." Really she didn’t want Fred to know about the Horcruxes or the prophecy. "Also we don’t know if someone will come check this place, or if Death Eaters take rounds around Hogwarts." Hoping to pacify him she reached for her purse "Here’s the Marauders Map, the wards are down if someone comes I need you to apparate us out.” she firmly stated.    


She saw the disapproval on his face, but before he could counter she grasped his hand. Looking beseechingly at him, she silently pleaded hoping that he would understand her need to do this alone. He responded by turning his face away and giving a single nod.

She didn't know what to expect when she delved into the memory, but it certainly wasn't this. The memory was set in Dumbledore's office, he sat behind the table, magic, authority and wisdom radiating. 

"Miss. Granger, lovely to see you" Dumbledore started, the view made it seem like she was there and he was alive, talking  _ to her.  _ "I sincerely hope that you found this memory by accident after young Mr. Potter defeated Tom Riddle. I hope that the intended use of this memory is not required. You see when I thought about the war it was obvious who the key players would be." 

At this he stood up and went up to the bookshelf, and pulled out a photo album. "Harry would defeat Voldemort–" at this Hermione got in position, in case any attacks came "–Ron would keep Harry safe, sane and motivated, and you Miss. Granger, had the most important task. You were Plan B. I will be as candid as possible." 

Somehow he turned around and his eyes pierced hers. For the first time since she had seen Albus Dumbledore, she truly recognized his power. His ever twinkling eyes were stone hard, and the icy blue pierced directly into her head. 

"If Harry fails, and the prophecy comes true against the Order and the Light, you will be the only one with the ability to save us all. It's an awful burden to place on a child, but you once told me that you would stand by Mr Potter's side, and if that is still true I hope you save us all.'

Hermione felt her knees weaken, and she grasped around to find something to hold onto, but there was nothing, causing her to buckle down. 

"The Dumbledore family is part of the Sacred Twenty Eight. We have always been a family of academics and intellectuals. I left a book from our family collection at Grimmauld Place, I believe it should be pretty obvious once you see the end. Miss Grange–" at this he sat down again, looking wearier than ever "–I hope you don't judge this old man too harshly, I always seem to expect much from my young ones, but unfortunately it's the young ones who suffer from the war of elders. The book has a potion— complicated at that— which would allow you to go back in time. The catch is that once you finish the task you will be between time, isolated and aware of every second that passes, for the amount you jumped. Once you find the book you'll find some other  _ requirements _ . Hermione the fate of the Wizarding World lies in your hands, Harry Potter and everyone is depending on you. I wish you best of luck" 

With a resounding gasp Hermione pulled out of the Pensieve, and before she was aware of it, strong arms wrapped themselves around her. She was hit by warmth, familiarity and Fred. 

She stood there for a while, relishing in the confort just being near Fred gave her. Slowly she detached herself, and nodded. 

"We have a plan"

**Sirius P.O.V,**

Being sent back in time was useless. He learnt that after multiple painful, and borderline deathly encounters. The first month he tried his damnest to tell James, Remus,  _ anyone  _ about the future. He tried getting the Marauders to cut Peter out, but everytime he tried he felt his body stiffen up, his words choke him or simply the universe stopped him. He wasn't in control of himself, and he hated it. Everyday was a reminder of what was to come. 

He couldn't even speed up things. He tried to set Lily and James up, but everything he tried turned out wrong. Casually pushing Lily onto James, Lily falls down without James catching her, trying to lock them in a room together, someone appears and opens it. Nothing was going the way he wanted to. This entire stint was a cosmic prank and he hated it. 

A few times he tried telling Minnie or Dumbledore about it, but every attempt failed. 

He was stuck in a time loop where everything was destined to happen the way it happened, and he could do nothing to change it.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I just love time travel stories, but a lot of them are incomplete :/ so I tried to write my own.


End file.
